All That Matters
by SunsetsAndSweetDreams
Summary: -ON HIATUS- Kate's been gone eight long years, but today, she came back. It's not just a courtesy visit; she has a surprise for a certain team member. Can he step up and be the man she needs him to be? AU; basically ignores 'Twilight'. Kibbs, some Tiva.
1. Chapter I

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything associated with _NCIS_. I just like messing with the characters.

**Summary:** Kate's been gone eight long years, but today, she came back. It's not just a courtesy visit; she has a surprise for a certain team member. Can he step up and be the man she needs him to be? AU; basically ignores 'Twilight'. Kibbs, bit of established Tiva thrown in for good measure. Rating is T for now, will be raised to M soon.

**Author's Note: **Reviews appreciated, blah, blah, blah.

_**All That Matters**_

**Chapter I**

The NCIS building hadn't changed in eight years. The only difference between tonight and the night she'd left was that, this time, it wasn't raining.

She slipped two photographs from her purse and looked at them, even though the images were already burned onto her eyelids. With a wry smile, she put the photos away and turned back to the matter at hand. Eight years is a long time to avoid someone. She hoped - prayed - they didn't all hate her now.

-x-x-

She was alone in the elevator. Alone with her thoughts and her memories. She braced herself against the wall, trying so hard not to think about the past.

The bullpen was quiet. A sense of purpose came over her and she strolled towards the corner that housed the MCRT.

It was occupied by a single agent; a pretty, middle-eastern woman who sat at the desk that had once been her own. Gibbs, DiNozzo and McGee were all absent.

The agent at her desk lifted her head, her soulful brown eyes wide with recognition. She pushed her chair back and stood up slowly, her pregnant belly impeding her movements. She extended a hand in greeting.

'Caitlin?' she said, her lightly accented voice loud in the silence of the bullpen.

'Just Kate. And yeah… I am.'

'Ziva David,' she introduced herself. 'It is a pleasure to meet you.'

'You too,' Kate smiled. 'Where is everyone?'

'They are at a crime scene,' Ziva explained. 'They should be back soon though, if you would like to wait?'

All that working herself up to it, assuring herself it would be okay, he would be here and she could tell him everything, and he wasn't even here. She knew she would have to wait.

'I'll wait,' Kate said. 'If you don't mind.'

'Not at all. Here.' Ziva gathered the paperwork from her desk and gestured to it. 'You can sit at my desk. It did used to be yours, after all. I can sit at Tony's.'

'Won't Tony mind?' Kate raised an eyebrow. The Tony she knew would definitely have minded. Ziva was either brave, or crazy. Or maybe Tony had changed.

'I doubt it,' Ziva assured her. 'Sit. You look tired. Would you like some coffee?'

'Oh, no, you don't have to get me anything. It's bad enough I'm kicking you out of your own desk. You should do your work. I'll worry about coffee.' Kate shook her head.

She sat down at Ziva's desk, sinking into the familiar chair. She studied the desk, noting the lack of personal possessions. The only thing remotely personal was a framed photo; Ziva and Tony stood together, Ziva in a white gown and Tony, handsome as ever, in a tux. It was clearly a wedding picture.

'Ziva, is this a wedding photo?' Kate asked, surprise evident in her voice. She hadn't figured Tony for the marrying kind - especially with a co-worker. How had Gibbs been okay with that?

'Which photo? Oh, yes. Tony and I were married last spring,' Ziva replied.

'And Gibbs was okay with that?' Kate asked.

'As long as we do not let it affect our work. I think he is glad Tony has finally settled down.'

Kate smiled. 'Congratulations.'

'Why do you sound so surprised?' Ziva raised an eyebrow.

'Tony just never seemed the type, you know? When I knew him, I mean. He was all about the sex, never the commitment,' Kate explained.

'That is what I first thought of him, too.'

'I guess he finally found the right girl, though.'

'He is most definitely committed to this relationship,' Ziva agreed. 'He has been even better since we found out I am pregnant.'

'Well now he's going to have a child I suppose he realised he'd better stop acting like one,' Kate smiled.

'He is not _that_ much better,' Ziva chuckled.

The two women eventually fell into an easy silence, Ziva's head bent as she worked intently. Kate watched her, trying to channel some of her peacefulness, to calm her racing mind.

'Ziva, what are you doing at DiNozzo's desk?' Gibbs' voice broke the silence.

Ziva glanced up. 'Kate is sitting at mine,' she replied.

'Kate?' Gibbs repeated.

'Right here, Gibbs.' Kate stood up as Gibbs spun round, his blue eyes meeting hers, full of shock, and sadness, and longing.

'Kate,' he breathed.

He smiled, a heartbreaking smile, disbelieving and yet relieved; of genuine, breathless happiness.

She took a hesitant step towards him and he held out his arms. She almost fell into them, the reality of the situation sinking into her. Here she was again, wrapped so tightly in his arms. She breathed in his sent, recommitting it to memory; the hint of sawdust and black coffee mixed with something so simply Gibbs.

Then the images in the photos drifted across her closed eyelids and she broke away.

'We really need to talk,' she said.

'Can it wait, Katie?' he asked. 'A couple hours, at least? We've got a case.'

'A couple more hours,' Kate agreed. She fished the pictures out of her purse and held them out to Gibbs. He took them, his eyes settling on one in particular - a picture of a little girl, maybe seven years old. She had Kate's dark hair, Kate's mouth. And the most startling blue eyes. A pair of blue eyes he definitely recognized.

'We definitely need to talk,' he said, handing the photos back. 'Come and see Abby. She's missed you.'

Kate nodded solemnly and trailed after Gibbs to the elevator.

Gibbs hit the button for Abby's lab. He met each of her glances with stony silence.

'Gibbs?' she tried, tentatively.

'We'll talk later, Katie,' he said. 'I promise.'

* * *

><p><strong>AN: What do you think? Reviews, purrleeeeeeeeeassseee? Free cookies for you if you review! Honest!**

**Updatewise: I've got the first three chapters written and chapter four is on the go at the moment so those will all be up soon; but no updates at all until I have... ooh, 3 reviews? At least. So if you liked it, please give me a review! In fact, even if you just have constructive criticism, review it. Then I can make it better. :) Don't expect really regular updates; I'm quite busy with homework and things as well as writing, like I'm going to Bristol on Saturday and I have a chemistry test to revise for next week and I have to organise all my maths notes in case my folder gets taken in :/ Oh so much is happening. :( Anyways... Reviews = fast updates. So click the button please :)**


	2. Chapter II

**I don't own NCIS. Just a reminder. :)**

**Normally I reply to all my reviews by PM but having woken up this morning to 5 reviews (yay!), I don't have time so... I'd like to say thank you to _agentkibbsforever_, _shawdoo_, _Kibbs_, _Michi-Gibbs_ and _danielle007_, and give each of you a free cookie. Here you go! ** **Now, thanks to your reviewing skills, here is chapter 2! :)**

_**All That Matters**_

**Chapter II **

When the doors of Abby's lab swished open, Kate barely got a glimpse of the shiny surfaces and machines before there was a squeal and a pigtailed blur descended upon her, pulling her into a hug.

'Kate! What are you doing here?' Abby cried, letting her go.

'I felt like it was time to come back, Abs,' Kate shrugged. 'I missed you.'

'Did a certain little birdie start asking questions?' Abby asked, conspiratorially.

'Yep,' Kate smiled. 'She sure did.'

'Abs…' Gibbs began, hating to interrupt the women's reunion but equally desperate for a shred of light on his case. 'Have you got anything yet?'

Abby turned to Gibbs. 'I'm sorry, Gibbs,' she said, 'the prints are running and so is the DNA but it'll probably be another couple hours. I'll call you when I have news.'

'Okay,' he said. 'Kate… I'll let you catch up with Abby. But we still have to talk.'

'I know,' Kate replied. 'Thank you.'

Gibbs left, leaving Abby and Kate alone.

'Does he know yet?' Abby asked.

'I showed him a picture. He's probably guessed,' Kate replied, somewhat worriedly.

'Don't sweat it, Kate. Can I see the picture?'

'Sure.' Kate dug in her purse and came up with the photos. Abby took them and looked at them, a smile forming on her face.

'She's so pretty, Kate. She looks just like you. But you're right, he's probably guessed. Any idiot can tell who's eyes she has.' She put the photo down and looked at the other. 'You look so happy, Kate,' Abby smiled. 'How could you leave this?'

'I don't know, Abby. I don't know at all.' She took the picture from Abby and glanced at it before tossing it onto the table beside them. The image was already burned onto her eyelids, scratched into her memory so thoroughly.

That photo was enough to bring Kate to tears every time she saw it. It held so many memories, in that single captured moment. Tony had taken it, maybe a week before she left. He'd caught her and Gibbs in a rare moment of public affection. He was sat on a bench, taking a break from the case they were investigating for just a moment. She had snuck up behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek. Then she'd glanced up and seen Tony with the camera, just as Gibbs tilted his head to look at her, his love for her obvious in his face and the sweetest smile just gracing his lips. She'd smiled for Tony, trying to catch Gibbs' attention to show him the camera but he'd never realised and Tony had taken the picture too fast, caught the moment before it had gone. As far as she knew, Gibbs didn't know the photo existed.

It was a beautiful picture, a beautiful moment. Kate hadn't been as happy in eight years than she had been in that moment. That was one of the reasons she'd come back at all. The main reason had been her daughter's incessant questions, but just the thought of her and Gibbs being reunited, of possibly returning to that blissful state, was enough to get her back to DC in the end. It might have taken eight years but she knew it would be worth it eventually.

'Kate,' Abby began. 'Can I ask you something?'

'Sure,' Kate shrugged. 'Go ahead.'

'How come you kept in touch with me but not with Gibbs?' She looked uneasy, like she thought maybe it wasn't any of her business.

'Because… I wanted a clean break. It was stupid and I probably hurt both of us more by ignoring his calls but I couldn't face it. I kept in touch with you because you're my best friend, and I needed at least one contact still in DC who could keep me updated,' Kate confided.

Abby was silent.

'You missed out a lot in your updates, Abs,' Kate said with a wry smile.

'Like what?' Abby said, indignant.

'Like Tony hooking up with Ziva and Gibbs being okay with it. Oh, and the wedding, and the fact Tony's going to actually be a father.'

'Well when you said 'updates' I thought you just meant about Gibbs. I didn't realise you cared about Tony that much.'

'I care about Tony enough to want to know juicy titbits like that!' Kate laughed. 'I'll have to have words with him anyway. I didn't even get an invitation!'

'Nobody knew where you lived,' Abby said, trying to explain.

'Why didn't Tony ask you? A verbal invitation would've been enough. Never mind, Abby. It doesn't matter, anyway.'

'Tony didn't know I still talked to you. Only Gibbs knew.'

'You never told anybody?' questioned Kate.

'Gibbs was the only one that asked.'

Kate sighed, rubbing her temples.

'I don't get it, Abs. I really don't.' She shook her head. 'How did I fall off the face of the earth like that?'

'I don't get it either,' Abby shrugged. 'It happened. You left and now you're back, but a lot's changed, Kate. You need to talk to Gibbs. Tell him the truth.'

Kate nodded. 'I will,' she said. 'I'll tell him everything. I just need to get him to stop and listen to me.'

'He'll listen to you. Show him the photo again. He'll have to ask,' Abby suggested.

'Yeah,' Kate sighed. She ran a hand through her hair. 'That's what I'll do. I'll go talk to him now. See you later, Abs.'

'It was good to see you again. Don't wait so long next time, okay?' Abby smiled.

'I promise.' Kate gave Abby a quick hug and headed for the elevator.

-x-x-

She found Gibbs at his desk, like she expected. McGee, Tony and Ziva were all gone. Kate pulled the chair from behind McGee's desk and set it in front of Gibbs', settling herself into it. He looked up as she sat down, eyebrows raised.

'Where is everyone?' she asked.

'McGee and DiNozzo are chasing up a suspect. Ziva had a doctor's appointment.' Gibbs put down his pen.

'McGee and DiNozzo are doing the chasing and you're sat here doing paperwork? You've changed, Jethro,' Kate said.

'I got old, Kate. Eight years is a long time.'

'You'll never be old. Not really,' she smiled.

Gibbs smiled. Of course, he was right. Eight years was a long time and in that time, sure, he'd gotten older, but so had she. So had Tony and McGee, and Abby. Everybody had aged eight years and like Abby had said, everything had changed. Nothing was the same, not any more.

Except the way he loved her. He'd tried, over the last eight years, so hard, to let her go. He'd been with other women since her, and he didn't doubt she'd been with other men. But every morning when he woke up he'd look over at the empty pillow and for a moment, a brief moment, he'd see her dark hair spread over it, see the contours of the duvet over her slim body. And every morning, he'd remember the way she'd roll over to look at him and smile. He would remember the way her eyes lit up when she looked at him and every morning, he'd fall in love with her a tiny bit more. He never doubted she would come back. In his heart of hearts, he knew she wouldn't be gone forever. Admittedly, he hadn't expected her to take so long, but he'd been right, and here she was. Sat across the desk from him, the light in her eyes when they caught his gaze the same as it had been back then.

'Gibbs,' she said quietly. She handed him the photographs. 'You know we need to talk about this.'

He took the pictures, putting the one of them together on the desk and studying the other. He knew who this girl was. It was easy to tell. She looked so much like her mother, yet with those eyes… she had to be who he thought she was. He let a long moment of silence pass while he contemplated the little girl and then he spoke.

'Is she your daughter?' he said, exasperated.

'She's _our_ daughter, Gibbs,' Kate admitted.

He nodded. 'I thought so. She looks so much like you.'

'But she has your eyes, Jethro,' Kate smiled, wanly. 'Your beautiful eyes.'

'At least that's all she got. She got all your beauty,' he sighed. 'Kate… What's her name? What did you call her?'

'Elena Kelly Todd.' Kate chuckled softly, the sound strange in the seriousness of their conversation. 'Do you know how long it took me to come up with a name I liked that went with Kelly?'

Gibbs smiled, briefly. 'You didn't have to do that, Kate.'

'I wanted to,' Kate said, placing her hand over his. 'It was the least I could do.'

He shook his head. 'I understand, Katie. Thank you.'

There was a silence, as they both considered where things would go from here.

* * *

><p><strong>I know it might seem like it's progressing a bit fast... but the whole story isn't just based around finding out who Elena is. Although, Ziva, Tony &amp; McGee don't know anything about it yet so they'll have to find out eventually. Hmmm... might be a slightly longer wait for the next chapter as I plan to edit it a bit before updating again. I might just take my laptop to college and do it there. That's why I love Thursdays! Don't forget, more reviews = more updates! :) And free cookies to you all, of course.<strong>


	3. Chapter III

**Still don't own NCIS. All I own is the idea & Elena. If I owned NCIS, Kate would've killed Ari when she had the chance.**

**Thanks to **_**dg101**_**, **_**meherm**_**, **_**shawdoo **_**and **_**Michi-Gibbs **_**for your reviews! Cookies to you all! Even if you already had one; some of you are special enough to get two.  
><strong>

**Also, **_**Michi-Gibbs**_**, I'm glad you like her name; it took me forever to choose! I was torn between Elena and Erica but I asked my friends and everyone said Elena, so that's her name.**

**And can I also direct you all to the banner I made for this story, as I'm really proud of it; .tumblr[-dot-]com[-forwardslash-]tumblr_lsux2tMqdV1q mlca5o1_500[-dot-]jpg**

**This would've been posted a couple of hours ago - I meant to edit this at college today and post it as soon as I got in but I got distracted so it didn't get edited; but now it has been done and here it is! **

_**All That Matters**_

**Chapter III**

'I want you to stay at my place, Kate,' Gibbs said, putting down the photos.

'I don't know, Gibbs,' Kate replied, hesitantly. 'Won't it be weird?'

'I don't care,' he said. 'We need to talk and that's the easiest way to do it.'

'Okay,' Kate nodded, somewhat unwillingly.

'Thank you,' Gibbs smiled. 'You might as well go there now. Get settled in. I'll be there in a couple hours.'

-x-x-

Stepping through Gibbs' front door was like stepping back in time. Eight years had changed nothing. Kate thought about taking her bag upstairs but where to? Would Gibbs expect her to fall straight back into his bed, or should she go to the guest room first, and see what happened? Instead, she left her bag in the hallway and tried the kitchen. Maybe she could make dinner.

Gibbs really needed to go shopping. Either that or he lived on beer, bourbon and stale bread. She gave up on the idea of making dinner and, curious, headed for the basement.

The half-built frame of Gibbs' latest boat loomed up at her out of the darkness. Tears pricked her eyelids as she remembered all the nights she and Gibbs had spent down here, her watching him work on the boat, She'd loved watching him work on it, the energy and passion he devoted to it. She remembered all the times she'd jerked awake in the middle of the night, on the old couch here. Gibbs would have covered her with a blanket, and eventually have fallen asleep under the boat frame. Then it would be her turn to put a blanket over him.

She clicked on the light, blinking her tears away, and ran her hands over the smooth wood of the frame, admiring the flawless craftsmanship. That was one of the many things she liked about Gibbs - he was so good with his hands.

She glanced around the basement, taking in the workbench and the shelves, and suddenly a framed photograph on the workbench caught her eye. She moved across the basement and picked it up, a smile spreading across her face as she realised what it was. It was the exact same picture she had handed Gibbs earlier that day, the image of the two of them together. How had he got hold of it? He hadn't even realised it had been taken, she was sure.

She felt the start of tears behind her eyes and shut them tight, trying to hold back the pain. With a sigh, she put the picture down and walked over to click off the light. She crawled beneath the boat frame, lying out flat on the hard wood. It was surprisingly comfortable, for such a hard surface. She shifted slightly, yawning - a motion which surprised her; it had been a long day but she hadn't realised how tired she was. She closed her eyes against the night and let herself drift into sleep.

-x-x-

She blinked into the darkness, disoriented. She realised where she was but somebody had put a pillow under her head and covered her with a blanket. Gibbs must have come home.

'Gibbs?' she said, quietly.

'Right here, Katie.' His voice floated out of the darkness from the couch where she had so often slept.

'What time is it?' she asked, groggily.

'Eleven-thirty,' he replied. 'You should be asleep.'

'I was,' Kate said. 'Why aren't you?'

'This couch isn't long enough,' Gibbs chuckled.

'You should have gone to bed.' She scrambled out from under the boat.

'I wanted to be here when you woke up. We still have to talk.'

Kate sighed as she sat on the couch and curled herself into him. Just the feel of his warm body so close to her made her wish she hadn't wasted the last eight years.

'Why didn't you tell me, Kate?' Gibbs asked.

'I couldn't,' Kate admitted. 'I was scared about your reaction and I'd hardly had time to process it myself. And then what happened with Ari… I couldn't expose my child to that. I had to get out and I did it in the first way I thought of. Then once I left it was too late. How to you introduce somebody to the daughter they never knew they had?'

'You didn't have to be scared. It wasn't your fault.'

Kate didn't answer.

'Accidents happen, Katie,' Gibbs said.

'But we hadn't ever talked about it. I thought you didn't want any more kids. After Kelly…' she trailed off.

'Kelly is in the past. What happened to her and Shannon… it won't go away. I know that. I won't ever forget them or stop loving them but I would never let them affect us.'

'That's not what I meant,' Kate protested. 'I just mean… after Kelly you never had any more, you know? Three ex-wives and not a single child. It made me think you didn't want any more kids at all.'

'It wouldn't have been right,' Gibbs said. 'It wasn't what I wanted with them.'

Kate's eyes filled with tears. 'But you would have, with me?' she choked.

'Yes.' Gibbs' heartfelt reply almost broke her heart.

'Kate,' he said, taking her hands in his. 'I wish you'd told me,' he sighed.

'I'm sorry,' Kate said.

'I know, Katie. I know. But it doesn't change the fact that you didn't.'

He cupped her face in his palms, his blue eyes bright with tears as they held hers in his unblinking gaze.

A tear escaped Kate's eye and slid down her cheek, onto Gibbs' hand.

'I'm so sorry,' she whispered.

'Don't be,' Gibbs said. 'I'm just so glad you came back.'

Kate saw something in his eyes; he truly meant it, he was really glad she was here. She grasped the front of his tee-shirt in her fists and pulled him towards her, dragging his lips to her own and kissing him with all the force and passion she could muster. She poured eight years of pain into that one kiss, and Gibbs found himself kissing her back with a fierce intensity.

Finally, he pulled away and their eyes met again. Kate chewed her lip, uneasy, and looked away.

'Gibbs,' she began, glancing back at him. He was still looking at her, his eyes glued to her face.

'Kate,' he interrupted. 'Where's Elena now?'

She stared at him, surprised.

'Elena? She's staying with my parents for a few days, while I work out what I'm doing. If I decide I want to stay in DC, I'll go get her.'

Gibbs nodded. That was sensible. From what he knew of Kate's parents, they were good people.

'Do they know who her father is?' he asked. He couldn't help it.

'Yeah. I don't think they particularly approved of how I'd done things but I think they approve of you,' Kate smiled. 'They wanted to meet you.'

He couldn't help but smile.

'Mom was one of the reasons I came back,' she admitted. She glanced down at her lap, twisting her fingers together. 'She kept insisting that Ellie should know her Dad - and she wanted an excuse to meet you.'

Gibbs placed his hand over Kate's entwined fingers and squeezed gently.

'She's right, Katie. After this case, I'll take a couple days off and we'll go to Indiana.'

Kate shook her head. 'They're not in Indiana, Jethro. I thought it would turn out like this so Ellie and my parents came with me. They're staying in a hotel.'

'Here, in DC?' Gibbs raised an eyebrow. He couldn't deny she thought ahead.

'Yep.' She glanced up at him, chewing her lower lip nervously.

'Hm. In that case, I'll go tomorrow.'

Kate's face broke into a smile, but he could see in her eyes she was still nervous. He smiled too, then leaned down to capture her lips with his, drawing her back into a kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him to her. Her lips opened beneath his and he let his tongue trace the shape of her teeth again, finding everything exactly as he remembered.

It was good to have her back, he decided, as he tangled his hands in her brunette curls. Better than good.


	4. Chapter IV

**Sadly, NCIS isn't mine, but Elena is. That's all. :/**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! **

**Argh, sorry for such a wait between updates; I've been so busy the last week; Saturday I was in Bristol and I've been juggling writing this chapter with my homework, sorting out things for my trip to Wales next week, and writing my personal statement for my UCAS application. Plus this chapter was annoying hard to write; I had no idea how Gibbs or Ellie would react as I've got no experience in that kind of situation and I don't know anyone who has. Anyways, if it's a bit OOC or just generally rubbish, let me know. I may well edit the hell out of this chapter at a later date. We'll see. But for now, I hope you like it!**

_**All That Matters**_

**Chapter IV**

The next day seemed to last forever. Gibbs found himself constantly checking the time, counting down the hours until he could leave. As he checked his watch for at least the fortieth time, Tony finally piped up.

'You okay, boss?' he asked.

'I'm fine, DiNozzo,' Gibbs replied, barely glancing up.

'You sure?'

One of Gibbs' famous glares shut Tony up and he returned his concentration to the crime scene. McGee glanced at Tony and frowned. Tony raised an eyebrow. Gibbs was definitely acting strange and neither of them could work out why. He'd been weird ever since they got back from the scene yesterday and he'd left earlier than usual. Tony had meant to ask Ziva if she knew what was going on but by the time he got back to their apartment she was sleeping and he knew what she was like if he woke her.

He'd have to ask her about it later. Something had happened and Tony was determined to find out what.

-x-

Eventually, Gibbs found himself standing in front of the shiny wooden door to room 335, hesitant. It wasn't often he was nervous about something, but the prospect of what lay beyond the door unnerved him slightly. His daughter waited in that room, probably twisting her hair impatiently the way Kate did, or chewing her lip.

He took a deep breath, raised his hand, and knocked. Almost immediately, there was a flurry of sound behind the door and it swung open. Gibbs smiled, relieved, when he saw Kate.

'Hey,' she smiled.

'Hey.'

She open the door wide and beckoned him in. Kate's parents were sat on the couch, watching television with the little brunette girl who was sandwiched between them. Elena was the first to look up. When her eyes met Gibbs', a smile spread across her face. She wriggled out from between her grandparents and ran across to him. Gibbs knelt down to her height.

'Hey, Ellie,' he said.

She tilted her head a little, examining his face.

'Are you my daddy?' she asked.

Gibbs chuckled. She certainly didn't beat around the bush.

'Yeah, Ellie, I am,' he smiled. 'Here,' he fished in his pocket for a lollipop and handed it to her. 'Do you like strawberry?'

'It's my favourite,' Ellie said. 'Thank you.'

Gibbs grinned and ruffled the girl's hair. It was clear Kate had raised her well. She was a great kid.

He stood up and extended a hand to Kate's father.

'Mr. Todd,' he said. 'It's good to finally meet you.'

Kate's father shook Gibbs' hand. 'Call me Daniel,' he said. 'It's good to meet you too. This is Kate's mom, Joanna.'

Joanna Todd shook Gibbs' hand too, a smile gracing her face.

'So you're the legendary Jethro Gibbs,' she said. 'It's a pleasure.'

'The pleasure's all mine, ma'am,' Gibbs replied, politely.

'Come on, boy, call me Joanna,' she chuckled. Gibbs smiled; this woman couldn't have been more than ten or twelve years older than him and she was calling him 'boy'.

'Then you'll have to call me Jethro,' he smiled.

Joanna laughed. 'Of course.'

Kate almost sighed in relief; she had been worried about her parents' reaction to Gibbs. They'd always seemed fairly okay with everything that had happened, despite their rigidly Catholic beliefs. It appeared to Kate that they understood why she'd done what she had. She had been afraid, though, that meeting Gibbs in person would trigger a negative reaction, at least in her father. So far, everything was alright.

'So,' Gibbs said, looking somewhat uncertainly from Kate to Joanna and back again. 'I was thinking about taking Kate and Ellie out for dinner. Would you mind if I borrowed them both for a couple hours?'

He directed the last question at Kate's parents. Kate's face brightened at the prospect of dinner and Ellie looked up, curiously, at the sound of her name. Daniel glanced at his wife, then shrugged.

'I don't see why not,' he said. 'I trust you, Jethro. Don't do anything stupid.'

'Thank you,' Gibbs smiled. 'I won't do anything too stupid.'

'Where are we gonna eat?' Kate asked.

'That Italian place you liked is still there,' Gibbs suggested. 'How about that?'

Kate nodded. 'Sounds good.'

She turned to Ellie and reached for the TV remote.

'Come on, Ell, your daddy's taking us both out for dinner,' she said.

'Dinner?' Ellie asked, looking up from the cartoon she was watching.

'Yeah. Would you like some spaghetti?' Kate asked.

'Yes, please,' Ellie said, jumping up from the couch.

'Come on then. We'll see you later, Mom,' Kate said as the three of them headed for the door.

'I'll have them back at a sensible time,' Gibbs promised.

'See you later,' Joanna called after them. 'Have fun.'

-x-

As they walked along the busy street, Ellie reached for Gibbs hand. He smiled as she slipped her fingers into his and he squeezed them gently.

'So what's your favourite kind of pasta, Ellie?' he asked.

'I like spaghetti best,' Ellie said. 'With the creamy sauce, the carba… thingy.'

'Carbonara?' Gibbs supplied.

'Yeah,' Ellie grinned. 'That one. Mommy makes it all the time.'

'That's because it's your mommy's favourite too,' Gibbs said, catching Kate's eye. Kate grinned. He was right, of course.

The restaurant wasn't busy, so they were seated quickly. Once they had been given menus, the conversation about spaghetti began again.

'What about you?' Ellie asked. 'What's your favourite kind of pasta?'

'I like carbonara too,' Gibbs smiled. 'A long time ago, I used to make it with that pasta that's shaped like a bow tie.'

'Instead of spaghetti?' Ellie gasped, apparently outraged at this suggestion. 'Why?'

'I had a little girl, like you,' Gibbs said. 'And it was her favourite.'

'You have another daughter?' Ellie asked, intrigued.

Kate raised an eyebrow. She wasn't used to Gibbs being so open about Kelly. But, she thought, it was only fair Ellie knew about her half-sister.

'A long time ago. She died,' Gibbs said, sadly.

Ellie was silent for a long moment. 'What happened?' she asked, quietly.

Gibbs glanced at Kate, who nodded.

'There was a car accident,' Gibbs said. 'The man who was driving the car got hurt and Kelly and her mom both died in the crash.'

Ellie looked down at the table, sadness creeping over her. She took a moment so she wouldn't cry - she hated crying in front of people, even her mom - before she looked back up.

'I'm sorry,' she said.

'That's okay, Ellie. Don't you worry about it. I have you now, right?' Gibbs smiled.

'I guess,' she grinned, showing her missing front tooth.

Gibbs was about to comment on it when a waiter swept over, ready to take their order.

'We'll have spaghetti carbonara, times three,' Gibbs said. 'If that's okay with you, ladies?'

Kate nodded and Ellie said, 'Yes, thank you, Daddy.'

Once the waiter had left, Gibbs turned his attention back to Ellie.

'You lost your front tooth, Ellie?' he asked.

'Just last week,' Ellie said, proudly. 'And this one's wobbly now, too, look.'

She grinned widely, pointing at one of her lower incisors to demonstrate how wobbly it was.

'Wow,' Gibbs laughed. 'That'll come out soon. Do you think the tooth fairy'll give you a dollar for it?'

'I hope so. I got two dollars for this one.' She indicated the gap where her front tooth had been. 'Normally I only get one.'

'Two? Well it was a front tooth, I suppose.' Gibbs chuckled softly.

'Momma said that you get extra for the front ones,' Ellie explained.

Kate grinned as she watched her daughter interact so easily with Gibbs. She'd been so nervous about this moment - she knew she should never have left it so long to introduce Ellie to her father, and every day she wasn't in DC made her a tiny bit more nervous about the potential meeting. But now, seeing them together, seeing how easily Gibbs talked to her, and how happy she seemed in his company, she realised all her fears had been completely unfounded. And, she realised with a jolt, there was a chance that they could all be happy now - together.


	5. Chapter V

**I own Ellie & I think that's about it. If I owned NCIS I'd be too busy owning a certain blue-eyed, silver-haired Marine to be writing fanfic about it. Oh, and any mistakes are mine too. Hot off the press here!**

**This chapter is quite Tiva-centric but there's plenty more Kibbs to come, don't worry. Again, apologies if anyone is a bit OOC. **

**Sorry it's taken so long to update, I was away last week and I didn't have time for writing and even so, the internet access was **sporadical**, at best.  
><strong>

**This could easily be the last chapter for a while; I'm doing NaNo this year and obviously that starts tomorrow, so I'll probably be too busy working on my NaNo novel to have time for this & I have coursework, so unfortunately this will be on a NaNo/coursework-imposed hiatus probably until December. Sorry!**

* * *

><p><em><strong>All That Matters<strong>_

**Chapter V**

The walk back to the hotel was quiet; it was getting late and Ellie was tired. She slipped her tiny hand into Gibbs' again and held it the whole way back.

When they reached the hotel room, Ellie turned to Gibbs.

'Will you come back and see us again soon, Daddy?' she asked.

Gibbs grinned; it was a long time since he'd been called 'Daddy' but he couldn't forget how alive it made him feel. And to know that Ellie so readily called him her father, despite only having known each other, really, for a couple of hours, made him even happier.

'Yeah, baby, I will. I'll come back tomorrow, if you want?' he suggested.

'If you can,' Ellie said, cocking her head.

'I will,' he promised.

Ellie grinned and held out her arms for a hug. Gibbs scooped her into his arms and held her against him.

'See you tomorrow, Daddy,' Ellie said as he let her down.

'Wouldn't miss it for the world,' Gibbs smiled, ruffling her hair. He turned to Kate.

'Can we meet for lunch tomorrow? Just the two of us? There are a few things I want to talk about,' he asked.

'Sure,' Kate agreed, with a nod.

'I'll call you tomorrow, then,' Gibbs said. He cupped Kate's chin and kissed her gently, for a moment forgetting everything but the feel of her lips beneath his. Kate pulled away first, her hand closing around his wrist as he made to move his hand from her face.

'Thank you, Jethro,' she said. 'Really.'

Gibbs smiled. 'I'll see you tomorrow.'

-x-

'Guess who came to visit Gibbs at work today,' Ziva called from the kitchen, as she busied herself making a stew for dinner.

Tony poked his head round the kitchen door, abandoning the TV program he was watching for a moment.

'Who would visit Gibbs at work?' he frowned. 'It wasn't the anniversary of one of his divorces, was it?'

'Not as far as I am aware,' Ziva said. 'She was not one of his ex-wives. At least, if she was, they never told anybody.'

Tony's frown deepened. Ziva was being annoyingly cryptic. Either that, or he'd had one too many beers and was being stupid. He racked his brains for women who might have known Gibbs well enough to come visit him unannounced at NCIS headquarters. Colonel Mann? No, she'd moved to Hawaii a long time ago and he couldn't see any reason why she'd suddenly return to see Gibbs specifically. What about that mysterious red-headed woman from all those years ago, who used to pick him up from crime scenes sometimes? Surely not - that was years ago, back when Kate was still with the team. All of a sudden, the answer hit him. It was so obvious, he couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it straight away.

'Kate?' he spluttered aloud. It had to have been Kate. He'd known about her relationship with Gibbs - they all had - despite the pair's attempts to keep it a secret. But why would she come back, after eight years?

Ziva chuckled. 'You took your time figuring that out, _neshama_*.'

'What's Kate doing back in D.C.?' Tony moved from his position at the door to stand next to Ziva at the oven, leaning against the counter beside it.

'If I knew, I would tell you,' Ziva shrugged. 'But if you would like I can tell you what happened that I saw?'

Tony stopped trying to stick his finger in the stew and his eyes snapped to his wife, attentive in every respect.

'What happened, Zi?' he asked, eagerly.

Ziva grinned at Tony's childish urge to know all the gossip.

'I was doing paperwork at my desk and I looked up to see Kate standing between your desk and mine. She looked so confused and I recognised her immediately, so I got up and introduced myself. When she asked where you all were I said you were at a scene and she could wait if she wanted.' Ziva paused, reaching for a jar of spices and measuring some into the pan in front of her. 'I moved my things and sat at your desk so she could sit at mine, and we talked for a while.'

'What did you talk about?' Tony asked, curiously.

Ziva thought for a second. 'You, mostly. Kate noticed the wedding picture on my desk and questioned me about it. She was very surprised.'

'That we're married?' Tony frowned again.

'That _you_ are married. And that Gibbs does not mind,' Ziva smiled.

'What's weird about me being married?' Tony spluttered.

'Think about what you were like when Kate knew you,' Ziva suggested.

Tony grinned. 'That's true, Zi. I guess she didn't think I was that guy,' he said, thoughtfully.

'Nobody thought you were "that guy", Tony,' she chuckled.

'And I proved them all wrong.'

Ziva smiled, turning her attention briefly back to the stew.

'So?' Tony prompted.

'What?' She turned to him, eyebrow raised.

'What happened then?'

'I did some more work. Then Gibbs returned and asked me why I was sitting at your desk. I told him it was because Kate was sitting at mine. When I said her name… it was like he had seen a - what is it? Ghoul?' Ziva's brow furrowed as she tried to think of the word.

'Ghost?' Tony put in.

'Yes! That is it. Like he had seen a ghost! Really, she was not much better.' Ziva trailed off, her eyes somewhere distant as she remembered the expression on Kate's face when she'd seen Gibbs. It had been almost indescribable, such an open mix of love, pain, and regret that Ziva had almost had to look away. She'd felt like she was imposing on their privacy; present at a moment she had no right to bear witness to.

'Zi?' Tony said, quietly, bringing her back to the present. 'You okay?'

'Yes, I'm fine.' Ziva shook her head, clearing her mind. 'Sorry.'

Tony kissed her temple. 'That's okay. It must have been weird for them, seeing each other after so long. I can't imagine how I'd react if I saw you after eight years of you being gone.'

Ziva tilted her head towards his and kissed his lips, a fierce act of possessiveness.

'I,' she said, emphatically, 'would never leave you for that long.'

'I know, Zi,' Tony said. 'But it makes you think, y'know? I mean, why did she leave in the first place?'

Ziva shrugged again. 'She just said they had to talk. And she showed him some photos. I didn't get a good look at them but they must have been important.'

'Did you see them at all?' Tony tried, his curiosity piqued.

'A little. One was a picture of a little girl. I thought it was of Kate in her childhood but I do not understand why that would have been important.' Ziva frowned.

Tony paused and thought for a moment. He, too, failed to understand the significance of a childhood photo of Kate. Unless it wasn't Kate? Tony racked his brains. Kate was the baby of her family so it wasn't a younger sister. A cousin, maybe?

'A daughter?' Ziva suggested, reading Tony's mind.

'Kate didn't have children. I mean, doesn't. Not as far as I know.' He shook his head. 'Could you tell how old the kid was?'

'Between seven and ten,' she supplied. 'I think.'

'If she's Kate's daughter… she couldn't be older than eight, else we'd have known about it,' Tony said, contemplatively. 'Nobody can hide a pregnancy like that. Especially not Kate - we would've noticed. And if it is her daughter, who's the father?'

'Gibbs?' Ziva suggested, raising an eyebrow. It seemed like a sensible suggestion - she'd long known about Kate & Gibbs' relationship and it would be a viable reason for her return. Although… after eight years? Why leave it so long?

Tony snorted. 'Seriously?'

'What?' Ziva looked affronted. 'Why not?'

'I just can't imagine…' He started laughing.

Ziva folded her arms and stepped back to observe her husband's laughter, a smile playing on her lips.

'Would you have the guts to hide something like that from _Gibbs_?' he managed, choking through his mirth.

Ziva considered his question for a moment before replying. 'That is true,' she said. 'I cannot imagine anybody being quite mad enough to do that.'

Tony chuckled again. 'Even Kate? And she always was a bit… hinky.'

Ziva grinned. 'Even Kate.'

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><p><strong>*<strong>_**Neshama **_**is a Hebrew term meaning 'soul' - it's also slang for 'darling'.**


	6. Chapter VI

**I'd like to own NCIS - especially a certain Gunnery Sergeant - but I don't. I own Ellie and any mistakes. **

**Sorry for the wait! I've been wanting to update for weeks but I've been so busy there hasn't been time. Nonetheless, here we are!**

_**All That Matters**_

**Chapter VI**

Gibbs met Kate for lunch in a diner a few blocks down from her hotel. She was already there when he arrived, sat in a booth by the window, the single laminated sheet of paper that passed for a menu in her hand. She glanced up as he slid in opposite her, her smile wide and genuine.

'How's things in the office?' she asked.

'Quiet,' he replied. 'We closed the case yesterday and nothing else has come up yet. We've all just been sat there doing paperwork. How's your day been?'

'Ellie's tooth came out this morning,' Kate said absently, putting the menu down. 'She bit into a cookie and the tooth just stayed in it.'

Gibbs chuckled. 'That's a new one on me,' he said.

'Yeah, it wasn't a possibility I'd ever envisioned,' Kate laughed.

'There anything good on that menu?' Gibbs asked.

'I'm just gonna get a salad,' Kate replied. 'But Dad says they do pretty good cheeseburgers.'

'Cheeseburger sounds good to me,' he smiled. 'And the coffee had better be decent.'

Gibbs signalled to a waitress and they gave their order. Kate leaned back in her seat, stretching her legs out under the table.

'So,' she began. 'You wanted to talk.'

'Yeah.' Gibbs took a deep breath. 'I want you and Ellie to come stay at my place.'

At Kate's sceptical expression he held up a hand. 'Hear me out,' he said, pleadingly.

She nodded, clasping her hands nervously on the table between them.

'I'm not asking you to move in properly. It's just… I've only just met Ellie and I don't want to lose her already. I don't want her to go back to Indiana and forget all about me.' He hesitated.

'That wouldn't happen,' Kate pointed out. 'I've been thinking and thinking about it the last couple of days. I… I don't think I want to go back to Indiana anyway.'

'You don't want to go back to Indiana?' Gibbs repeated.

'I want Ellie to know you. I want her to be near her father, and, God, I want to be near you too.'

He gave a wry smile. 'I'd like that,' he said quietly.

They broke off as their food arrived, but Gibbs suddenly found he was no longer hungry. Kate picked at her salad, moving it around the plate more than actually eating it.

'Jethro,' she said suddenly, almost hesitantly. He looked up and met her nervous gaze. 'If you asked me to move in with you…' She paused, trying to read his expression.

Gibbs leant forward, leaning on his elbows. 'What would you say?' he asked, in barely more than a whisper.

Kate chewed at her lip a little before answering. 'I'd say yes,' she said, finally.

Gibbs smiled. 'In that case,' he said, 'will you move in with me, Katie?'

'How soon do you want me?' she replied, with a grin.

'How about right now?' he laughed. 'Or is that a little _too_ soon?'

'Well,' Kate said thoughtfully, 'I need to talk to Ellie, and my parents, and pack up all our things at home, and find Ellie a school, and….'

'How about,' Gibbs interrupted, 'you and Ellie move in this weekend, and we'll worry about everything else later?'

It was already Friday. 'This weekend' meant tomorrow, or at the latest the day after. Gibbs took a nonchalant bite of his cheeseburger, pretending to ignore the disbelief on her face.

'Your dad was right about the cheeseburgers,' he said. 'This is pretty good.'

'You want me to move in _tomorrow_?' Kate said, incredulously.

'If you want to.'

She shook her head in disbelief. Could she really go back to her hotel room tonight and tell her daughter they were moving to Washington, D.C. permanently? Could she, from tomorrow, call Gibbs' home her home too?

'Okay,' she said suddenly, surprising herself as well as him.

'What?' Gibbs said, almost dropping his burger.

'I'll move in with you tomorrow. As long as Ellie agrees,' Kate said.

-x-

'He wants you to move in with him _when_?' Joanna Todd exclaimed, her tone as incredulous as her daughter's had been when she had first heard Gibbs' suggestion.

'This weekend,' Kate said again. 'So basically, tomorrow.'

Kate had decided to break the news to her mom first, before she began the mammoth task of explaining the situation to her eight-year-old.

'What about all your things? All your clothes and Ellie's toys and everything? It's all back in Indiana!' Joanna frowned.

'He says we should "worry about everything else later,"' Kate said, shaking her head. 'I know it sounds crazy, Mom, but…' She trailed off, looking expectantly at her mother.

Joanna watched her thoughtfully for a moment.

'Well, if it's what you want, it's not my place to stop you,' she said, finally. 'But,' she continued, holding up a hand to stop Kate from interrupting, 'I'm going to let you explain this all to Elena.'

Kate smiled, grateful and relieved.

'I can deal with that,' she said. 'Thanks, Mom.'

Joanna hugged her daughter. 'I just hope you're making the right decision.'

-x-

Ellie was sceptical at first, as both her mother and grandmother had been. She didn't like the idea of moving six hundred miles away from her friends, her family, her home.

But, Kate explained patiently, there was a world to explore outside of Indiana. If they moved to D.C., Ellie would get to see her father every day; learn how to ride a bike or to build a boat, how to bake muffins or brew coffee just the way he liked it - all under his careful guidance.

'You can go to school here, and there'll be lots of other kids your age,' Kate told her daughter. 'I bet you'd make friends really fast.'

'What about Grams and Grandpa?' Ellie asked, chewing at her thumbnail worriedly. 'Would they come too?'

'No, honey, but we'd still see them.'

'But not all the time?'

'Not as often as we do. We'd see them in the holidays, and in summer vacation we could go visit them. Would you like that?'

She considered it for a moment. 'I guess,' she said finally. 'I mean, I'd miss them, but if we saw them in the holidays I guess that would be okay.'

'Ellie,' Kate said carefully, 'are you saying you would like to move in with your daddy?'

'What matters, Mom,' Ellie replied, practical as ever, 'is that _you _want to. If it makes you happy, then we should do it.'

Kate could've cried. Ellie had a knack for being particularly matter-of-fact, and as usual, it had paid off. She scooped her into her arms, hugging her tightly.

'You have no idea how much that means to me, baby,' she whispered into her daughter's hair.

-x-

'Yeah, Gibbs,' Gibbs barked into the phone, expecting Tony's excuses. The man was _supposed_ to be in the office doing paperwork but Gibbs was looking at his desk now and he wasn't there.

'It's Kate.'

'Katie? What's up?' He leant back in his chair, calmed by the sound of her voice.

'When do you want me to move in?' Kate replied.


End file.
